The second edition of Easy Steps to Chinese (ESTC) represents a sophisticated pedagogical evolution of a series that has been a popular choice for secondary school beginners. Specifically designed for non-Chinese background students, this edition streamlines the learning path into seven books organized across three distinct stages. Developed by experienced educator Yamin Ma, the series aims to help students establish a solid foundation in characters, words, sentences, and grammar through the gradual integration of language and culture.
A Refined and Modernised Framework
One of the most striking improvements in the second edition is its contemporary relevance. While the 2009 original featured dated references, the revised series integrates vocabulary essential for a modern teenager, including social media, current lifestyles, and digital technology. Furthermore, the series has moved away from “textbook-like” dialogues toward authentic genres. Students are now exposed to real-world language through emails, blogs, online chats, announcements, and practical reading passages.
The curriculum is now strategically divided into three phases:
- Stage 1 (Books 1-3): Establishes a foundation in pinyin, characters, and basic communication.
- Stage 2 (Books 4-5): Focuses on functional language use in real-life situations.
- Stage 3 (Books 6-7): Utilises authentic materials to help students express complex viewpoints appropriately and logically.
Notably, from Book 5 onwards, the Textbook and Workbook are combined, reflecting a transition toward integrated reading and writing tasks at higher levels [user-provided information, 278].
Pedagogical and Design Enhancements
The second edition places a stronger emphasis on communication, utilising interactive tasks such as interviews and opinion exchanges over repetitive drills. This shift is supported by a complete visual redesign, featuring larger photographs, clearer typography, and vibrant colours to increase student engagement. Supporting this is a vastly expanded digital ecosystem that includes interactive resources, presentation slides, and online assessment tools, catering to modern blended learning environments. Crucially, the series is explicitly mapped to global frameworks including HSK, IGCSE, IB, and AP Chinese, making it a robust choice for prestigious initiatives like the Mandarin Excellence Programme (MEP).
Critical Considerations
Despite these significant upgrades, the second edition introduces certain challenges. First, because grammar is more integrated into communicative tasks, grammar practice is more dispersed than in the concentrated first edition. This can make lessons feel less “tight” and requires greater teacher preparation to scaffold the less predictable sentence structures found in authentic texts. Second, while the redesigned layout is engaging, some educators find the pages visually busy and potentially distracting for students trying to locate core teaching points. Finally, the series maintains a narrow cultural scope, focusing almost exclusively on Mainland China and Formal Standard Mandarin, thereby omitting regional variations and the global Chinese diaspora. Consequently, while it is an excellent “level booster” for confident students, it demands a higher degree of instructional flexibility from teachers.
Easy Steps to Chinese (2nd Ed) 1 Textbook 轻松学中文 第二版 1 课本 | Easy Steps to Chinese (2nd Ed) 1 Workbook 轻松学中文 第二版 1 练习册
Easy Steps to Chinese (2nd Ed) 2 Textbook 轻松学中文 第二版 2 课本 | Easy Steps to Chinese (2nd Ed) 2 Workbook 轻松学中文 第二版 2 练习册
Easy Steps to Chinese (2nd Ed) 3 Textbook 轻松学中文 第二版 3 课本 | Easy Steps to Chinese (2nd Ed) 3 Workbook 轻松学中文 第二版 3 练习册
Easy Steps to Chinese (2nd Ed) 4 Textbook 轻松学中文 第二版 4 课本 | Easy Steps to Chinese (2nd Ed) 4 Workbook 轻松学中文 第二版 4 练习册
Easy Steps to Chinese (2nd Ed) 5 Textbook 轻松学中文 第二版 5 课本 (with workbook combined)
Easy Steps to Chinese (2nd Ed) 6 Textbook 轻松学中文 第二版 6 课本 (with workbook combined)
Easy Steps to Chinese (2nd Ed) 7 Textbook 轻松学中文 第二版 7 课本 (with workbook combined) — to be published